How to design Pooja rooms in small spaces?

In earlier times, almost every house in India had a Pooja room. However, with
the modern urban lifestyle that includes
tiny box-like apartments, often the home’s layout doesn’t include a pooja area.
Is it possible to incorporate a pooja space into a modern apartment or house,
even if one wasn’t planned? What rooms are best for including a Pooja cabinet
or mandir? What materials are best for Pooja
rooms? We present tips on everything you
need to know about modern pooja room
designs in apartments and small houses, including Vastu Shastra tips on
what’s ideal.

Can I have a Pooja room in the living room?

pooja room design

If the architect didn’t reserve a particular area for the Pooja space, then one has to find an alternate area in the
home to install it. The living room is an excellent choice for it, especially if
one can find a corner in the northeast direction to locate the pooja shelf or
cabinet. If the northeast isn’t available, then either the east or the west
walls are the next best choices. Place the idols in the east or the west so
that sunlight refreshes the space every day. When looking at Pooja room ideas in living rooms, ensure
that the area has sufficient privacy. One can do this by installing a partition
or a glass sliding door to hide the area when it’s not in use.

If no niche or corner is available for the Pooja room in the living room, consider
placing the idols on floating shelves or in a free-standing mandir unit. Ensure
that the pooja space doesn’t share a wall with a bathroom. Additionally, it shouldn’t be above or below
a toilet in the house.

Is a dining room a suitable location for a Pooja room?

Pooja room

Like the living room, one can use a dining area to install a pooja room. In fact, as per Vastu Shastra, if the northeast
direction of an apartment or house is not free for the pooja space, then one
can have it in any other room except the bedrooms, toilets and store room to
avoid negative energy from invading the pooja space.

What are the Vastu guidelines for installing a Pooja room in the kitchen?

Pooja Room

In some apartments and houses, one has no alternative than to incorporate the pooja space in a cabinet or corner of the
kitchen. While it’s not ideal to have it in the kitchen, there’s no harm in
doing so. However, it’s essential to be aware of
the dos and don’ts regarding the
location of the unit in relation to the stove, garbage bin and water source to
ensure that the positivity of the Pooja
room is not compromised.

Like with other areas, the northeast direction
is the ideal place for the mandir. It shouldn’t be above the sink or stove. The
design of the mandir or cabinet should allow closing the doors when it is not
in use to protect it from negative energy. Cover the

Why is it inauspicious to have a pooja room in the bedroom?

Pooja Unit

A pooja room is a place for prayer and meditation, whereas one uses a bedroom for sleeping. In some houses as a last resort, if
there is no other place available for the pooja mandir, it can be in the
bedroom, but one should ensure that the feet do not point towards the idols
while resting as this is disrespectful.

What are the types of materials that are ideal for pooja rooms or mandirs?

Pooja room Cocepts

Wood is a recommended material for pooja spaces as it is natural. It’s easy to create simple pooja mandir designs with wood, and if space is scarce in
the home, one can even use wood to build shelves or cabinets to arrange the idols.
Depending on one’s budget and the preferred size of the mandir, it’s easy to
find suitable designs in wood from prices starting INR 900 for a tiny one. Of course,
one can also find beautifully handcrafted and carved mandir or pooja room designs in wood for as much
as INR 15,000.

Natural stones such as marble and granite
are also popular for mandirs. A tiny marble mandir can cost around INR 3000,
while the price of larger ones with intricate carvings can work out to approximately
INR 30,000. Granite mandirs are less expensive than marble ones. One can easily
find a medium-sized model for around INR 8,000.

When looking at small pooja cabinet designs try to choose those with double-shutter
doors. As these doors open outward, a single door will pose a hindrance in the area.

What is the ideal type of flooring for the pooja room?

Pooja Room

The flooring in a pooja room should be easy to clean everyday as it’s vital to refresh the energy in the space and keep it free from dirt, dust or insects. Since the
mandir is a part of a larger room in the home, the flooring should match the
rest of the room. However, if the pooja area is in a niche, one can change the
flooring in that section to give it a distinct identity. Like with pooja mandir
designs, wood and natural stone are the preferred materials for the flooring of
pooja rooms. Ceramic tiles are another practical solution since they are easy
to maintain.

What colours should I use in a pooja room?

Pooja Room

Since pooja spaces need to be tranquil, the colours used on the walls should be soothing. White is the best option for a pooja room. Light yellow, pastel blue
and light green are other recommended colours. For the flooring, white or cream
marble or tiles are the best options.
Other shades on can consider for the walls include light purple as this shade
enhances the ambiance of spirituality.

What other factors should one consider while designing a small pooja room?

POOJA ROOM /PRAYER AREA

The pooja space should have ample positive energy. Therefore, it’s essential that the mandir or cabinet is clutter-free.
It’s best to keep the number of idols or images to a bare minimum. The ideal
size of an idol shouldn’t be larger than one’s palm. Ensure there are no damages on the images or idols in the pooja room as this brings negativity to
the area. Design the mandir or cabinet so that it has a drawer underneath for
storing pooja items that one can access easily. It will also help to keep the
area better organized.

There are so many elements that go into the
design of a perfect pooja room or
mandir. That’s the reason we recommend consulting a Vastu professional or an interior designer to ensure that every element suits the pooja space and fills
it with positivity. From helping to identify the perfect corner or niche that
one can convert into the pooja space in a living room, dining area or kitchen
to assisting with the selection of the right dimensions, materials and flooring
for the pooja area, a professional who has experience in designing pooja rooms will
ensure that every element is perfect. They can even help to customize small pooja room designs that bring a
touch of creativity and stunning design elements to the area to make a pooja
space unique.